Machine for charging shells



G31 1 93%, new zaimmmg 1. REMMEN.

MACHINE FOR CHARGING SHELLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 19H}.

1,346,064. A en d July 6, 1920;

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fll3.1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR J. REMMEN.

MACHINE FOR CHARGING SHELLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1 918,

1,346,064, Patented July 6, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEEP 2.

INVENTOR 1. REMMEN.

Patented July 6, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIGJEI- WITNESSES INVENTOR J. REMMEN.

MACHINE FOR CHARGING SHELLS.

AFPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1918.

1,346,064. v Patented July 6,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEEI' 4.

FIE-LE.

| FIE-E. 1 x 35 578 WITNESSES. INVENTOR J. REM MEN.

MACHINE FOR CHARGING SHELLS.

AP.LICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1918.

1,346,064. Patented July's, 1920.

5 SHEET S SHEET 5.

k 7 I I INVENTOR UNITED STATES t i i l a.

PATENT OFFICE.

JORGEN REMMEN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE T. LADI) COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOB CHARGING SHELLS.

1,346,064. Specification of Application filed February 20, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JORGEN REMMEN, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Charging Shells, of which improvement the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in mechanism for filling cartridges or shells with explosive material and has for its object a construction whereby a uniform quantity of explosive material may be charged into the shell and with substantially uniform density in all parts thereof. The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a machine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on a plane indicated by the line IIII, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine, certain portions being broken away; Fig. 4. is a front elevation of a portion of the machine showing certain modifications and plunger controlling devices; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on a plane indicated by the line VV, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the forked automatic stop; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a portion of the modification shown in Figs. 4t and 5. Fig. 9 is a sectional detail view of one of the nozzles of the feeding box.

In the practice of the invention, provision is made for charging a plurality of shells simultaneously and to that end a plurality of sections of molds or holders are arranged intermediate disks or circular heads 1 which are provided with trunnions 2 suitably mounted in bearings 3 in the frame of the machine. Each pair of holders consists of a stationary section secured at its ends to the disks and a movable member or section l: hinged to the stationary section near the inner edge of the latter. The inner faces of these mold or holder sections are grooved so as to form when closed a series of pockets for the reception of the shells or cartridges to be filled. In the construction shown, four series of mold or holder sections are Letters Pa n Patented July 6, 1920.

Serial No. 218,286.

shown and the drum, under which term I not only include the disks 1 but the sections forming the holders, is adapted to be rotated by hand so as to bring each pair of holder sections successively into operative relation to the support 5 from which the shells or cartridges can be shifted longitudinally in between the open sections of each pair, then to a vertical position Where the explosive material is charged into the shells from a hopper, then into operative relation with mechanism 6 for crimping the open ends of the shells and then to discharge position.

Any suitable means may be employed for shifting the movable member of each pair toward and from the other or stationary member after the shells have been charged thereinto and holding such movable member in closed position, inclosing the shell until after the open end of the latter has been closed or crimped. A convenient construction to this end consists of a series of bell crank levers 7 pivotally mounted on one or both of the disks 1 and having one end connected by links to the movable sections. The other arms of these levers extend outwardly and are preferably provided with rollers adapted to bear upon camways 8 and 9. One of these camways, as 8, is so arranged that the rollers on the levers will strike against such camway as soon as a pair of the holders has been charged with shells and force the movable member against the stationary member and will hold this memher in such position until after the pair of holders have successively passed to the charging position, and beyond the crimping position. After passing the crimping position, the rollers on the levers will bear upon the inner surface of the cam 9 and force the movable section away from the stationary section permitting the charged shells to drop into a suitable receptacle.

The material to be charged into these shells is fed continuously or at suitable intervals into a hopper 10, the lower end of which is open so that the material may pass through onto a table 11 to which a jarring or reciprocating movement is imparted so as to cause the material to slide along the bottom of this table and then through a spout 12 into the receiving portion 13 of the charging funnel or feed box. This shaking table is supported by flexible bands or strips ll made of rubber or other suitable nonmetallic material so that the table may respond freely to its actuating mechanism. In order to prevent material from passing out back of the lower end of the hopper, a scraper 15, nearly touching the table, is secured to the rear wall of the feed hopper. lVhile any suitable means may be employed for imparting a vibratory movement to the table, the construction shown is suitable for that purpose and consists of a crank pin on a shaft 17, said pin being connected by a pitman 1b to one end of a lever 19, the opposite end of said lever being connected by links 20 to the vibrating table 11. It is preferred to rotate the shaft by means of a belt passing around a pulley 21 of the shaft and a smaller pulley on the shaft 22 which is adapted to rotate upon the power shaft of the machine. In order that the vibration of the table may be checked at suitable intervals, the belt passing around these pulleys is made of such a length as to require the employment of a tightener to cause it to operatively engage the pulleys. This tightener consists of a bell crank lever 23 so pivotally mounted that a roller 2% carried thereby may be caused to bear upon the belt. The other arm of the lever is connected by a rod 25 to an operating handle 51.

As hereinbefore stated, the feed box 26 is provided with a receiving portion 13 into which the explosive material is fed and passes thence into the feed or main portion of the box, which is provided with a plw rality of discharge nozzles 2? corresponding in number to the pockets in the shell supporting sections. The discharge nozzles of the feed box or funnel are preferably made removable as shown in Fig. 9 and have the openings therethrough slightly tapering, the diameter at the lower end being made the smaller for purposes as hereinafter described. The lower ends of the nozzles are also provided with grooves for the reception of the upper edges of the shells to be filled, thereby preventing said edges from distortion by the material passing thereunto. The internal taper or inclination of the nozzle is uniform so that there will not be any obstruction to the movement of the material, and at its lower end the nozzle has an in ternal diameter only slightly greater than the external diameter of the rams. As the edge of the shell projects into the grooves in the nozzle, the lower and smallest portion of the passage therethrough will extend a short distance into the shell. lVhen filling shells the tamping is continued until at least the lower portion of the nozzle is filled with compacted material so that when the feed box is raised the compacted material will remain in the nozzle as a plug to and prevent the passage of material from the feed box until the plug is driven into the next shell to be filled by the operation of the tamp bar.

In order to prevent a bridging of the material in the feed box, suitable means are employed for' stirring the material and breaking up any bridges and preventing any tendency thereto. A suitable form of stirrer consists of a comb 28 movably mounted in the feed box at the point or in a plane intermediate the point of charging material into the feed box and the discharge nozzles. As shown in Fig. 1, certain of the teeth of the comb are bent out of line with the others so as to insure thorough agitation in stirring the material.

The feed box is made of a length proportional to the number of shells to be filled and extends the entire length of the shell holder and has nozzles corresponding in spacing to the pockets in the holders. The feed box is provided with extensions at its end, such extensions 29 projecting into guideways in the frame work of the machine. \Vhile a vertical movement may be imparted to the feed box by any suitable means, the construction shown has been found suitable and consists of levers 3O pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine and having one end connected by links 31 to the end extensions of the feed box and their opposite ends connected by rods 32 to a treadle 33 pivotally mounted to the frame of the machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The feed box is provided with teeth 31 at its end adapted to engage the notches in the rims of the disks of the shell-carrying drum, in order to lock the latter in position during the charging operation. The material is forced from the feed box through the nozzles and into the shells by means of rams 35 having their lower portions or the portions 36 coming in contact with the explosive material made of wood. These rams pass up through a cross head 37 and into cylindrical openings 38 formed in a block 39 secured in the upper end of the machine. Each of these cylindrical openings has connections with a source of fluid under pressure, whereby the rams are caused to move downwardly and press material into the shells. These rams are subjected at all times to the same fluid pressure and are drawn back after each downward movement by means of the reciprocating cross-head 37, which has its ends connected by pitmen $0 to crank disks a1 on the power shaft of the machine. In such a construction, the movement of the rams will correspond to the rate of movement of the cross-head and to its frequency of reciprocation. The length of movement of the rams is in no way dependent upon the stroke of the cross-head which is constant, while the range of reciprocation of the rams will gradually shorten as the shells are filled.

After the shells have been charged, the feed box 26 is raised by depressing the treadle and the drum carrying the shells is rotated through an arc of 90 degrees bringing the holder with the charged shells into alinement with the crimping mechanism, and the holder which has been newly charged with shells into alinement with the charging nozzles.

The crimping mechanism consists of a cross-head in which are mounted a series of small cylinders 42. corresponding in number to the shell pockets in the holders and having their outer ends flared so that when caused to move against a charged shell, the edges of the latter will be forced inward over the material therein. These cylinders are movably mounted in the cross-head but normally held in outer position by springs 43 as shown in Fig. 2. \Vithin the cylinders there are mounted plungers 44, which are secured to the cross-head and movable therewith. As the cross-head moves forward, the funnel shaped end of the cylinders will first encounter the open ends of the shells and force them inward. As the cross head continues its movement, the crimping funnels 42" will bear against the shell holder and remain stationary while the plungers within the cylinders will move forward and come into contact With the closed-in portions of the shells and force such closed-in portions down tight against the material, completing the crimping operation.

Any suitable means may be employed for operating the cross-head, but it is preferred to use a fluid pressure cylinder 45 and piston 46 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When employing compressed air as a motor fluid, the movement of the piston should be suitably controlled and to this end an auxiliary cylinder 47 is arranged on the end of the main cylinder, said auxiliary cylinder having its piston 48 connected by rods 49 to the crosshead. This auxiliary cylinder is connected to an accumulator or other source of liquid under constant pressure. In such a construction, the movement of the main piston to shift the cross head will be proportional to the rate of escape of liquid from the auxiliary cylinder.

In order to prevent an accidental movement of the tamping rams when the feed box 26 is raised for the purpose of admitting the movement of charged shells from and of empty shells into operative relation to the feed box, means are provided for lock ing such plungers in raised position, such means consisting of a bar 50 pivotally mounted in such relation to the line of plungers that it can be moved into and out of the path of movement of such plungers or some portion thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The mechanisms for performing the several operations, 2'. 6., vibrating the feed table,

shifting the ram, locking bar 50 and admitting fluid pressure to the ram cylinders and to the cylinder of the crimping mechanism, is preferably controlled by a hand lever 51 as shown in Fig. 1. This hand lever is connected to the bell crank 23 of the belt-tightener by the pitman 25 to an arm 52 on one of the journals of the ram lock, and to the handle of the valve 54 controlling the operation of the crimping mechanism, and to mechanism which when shifted by the hand lever 51 will be operated by the cross-head to open or close the main valve 53 controlling the flow of fluid pressure to the cylinders 38. The comb 28 is preferably reciprocated by the power shaft of the machine operating through a counter-crank 55 which is connected by a pitman 56 to one arm of a bell crank 57, the other arm of the crank being connected to the comb.

As shown in Fig. 1 the stem of the three way valve 53 is provided with a crossbar having at its opposite ends depending rods 68 and 69. These rods are pivotally connected to opposite ends of a link 67 which in turn is connected by a pitman to an arm 66 on the shaft 73. This shaft is rotated to shift the rods 68 and 69 as hereinafter described by the operating handle 51 connected by a pitman 76 to the other arm of the lever 66. When the handle 51 is shifted either to stop or start the several operations, one or the other of the rods 68, 69, will be shifted into the line of movement of an abutment 71 on the cross-head 37, so that on the upward movement of the crosshead one of the rods will be pushed up shifting the valve 53. The upward movement of one rod will lower the other rod, but as the latter is outside of the line of movement of the abutment, it will not be raised nor the valve reversed until the controlling handle 51 is again shifted.

As it is possible that the feed of the material into the different shells may be some what irregular, the synchronous and equal filling of all the shells would not occur and hence provision is made for preventing the material in those shells which are first filled from receiving a greater tamping than the others. To this end mechanism is provided for checking the operation of each of the rams and its tamping bar as soon as the shell has been filled and the material packed to the desired height in the feed nozzle. In the modified construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a series of fingers 58 are movably mounted in a cross bar 59 extending across the machine and movable back and forth with relation to rams 35 as hereinafter described. The forward movement of the cross bar which is effected by the weight 59 or other suitable means is imparted to the fingers by springs 65 and the backward movement through the pin 60 passing through the fingers in the rear of the bar. The front ends of these fingers are notched or forked as is clearly shown in Fig. 6, the width of such notches being less than the diameter of the rams but greater than that of the tamping bar, or a reduced portion of the rams, so that when the finger bar 59 is moved forward the movement imparted to the fingers will depend on the position of the rams.

The bar 59 is moved forward by the weight 59" to shift the fingers as the cross head 37 controlling the movement of the rams is moved down and preferably during the lat ter part of such movement. As the extent of the downward movement of the rams is dependent on the amount of material in the shell and therefore gradually decreases, the fingers when shifted by the cross bar 59 will encounter the larger part of the rams and their movement will be checked during all but the last stage in the shell filling operation. The fingers are arranged at such a height relative to the range of movement of the rams that the reduced portion of the rams will pass below the fingers before the latter are moved forward while the shell is being filled, but the fingers on their forward movement following the complete filling of the shells will not encounter the larger portions of the rams and will move forward sufiiciently to operate mechanism adapted to cut off the fiow of fluid pressure from the respective cylinders 38 as soon as the material has been packed to the desired height in the nozzles.

The bar 59 is adapted to be controlled by a cam (31 on the power shaft of the machine, such cam being so constructed and adjusted as to permit the bar 59 being moved forward or to the left by the weight at the time when the cross head 37, which controls the movement of the rams and tamping bars is moving downward. The end of a lever (32 bears on the cam 61 and has its outer end connected by a rod (3 3 to an arm of a bell crank (Bl, the opposite arm of such crank being connected to the bar 59, so that the bar can be shifted by the weight as the cross head moves down. As the length of movement of the bar 59 is constant, while the movements of the fingers will vary in accordance with the position of the rams, springs 65 are interposed between the bar and the head on the fingers, as above stated, to permit of the cross bar moving independently of the fingers or feelers 58. As before stated, fingers or feelers are employed for each of the rams and each of the cylinders has a valved connection to the fluid pressure supply as shown in Figs. 5 and S and suitable connections are interposed between the fingers or feelers and the respective valves 53 operated thereby. Mechanism similar to that employed for shifting the main valve 53 is preferably employed. The outer ends of the fingers pass loosely through openings in the lower ends of the levers (36 and the portions of the fingers projecting beyond the lovers are provided with abutments 72 so located as to engage and shift the lovers only when the fingers are given their larger movement when they pass below the shoulders a on the rams. The increased movement of the fingers 58, due to their passing under the shoulder a will shift the lower end of the lever (56 to the left and as the upper end of this lever is connected to a link 67 which has its ends connected to two vertically arranged push rods (38 and 69, the latter will be swung, one into and the other out of the line of movement of the tbutment Tl carried by the cross head 37. These rods have their upper ends connected respectively to opposite ends of the operating levers 70 of the plugs of the threeway valves 53. The movement of the levers (56, due to the increased movement of the fingers 58 will shift one of the dependent rods as 69 into the path of movement of the abutment T1 so that when the cross head is moved upward, this abutment will strike the lower end of the rod (39, forcing it up to close valve 53 there by cutting off the fiow of fluid pressure to the cylinders 38 and permitting the escape of air therefrom the valve being of the threeway type. In this manner the fiow of fluid pressure to each of the cylinders 38 is cut off as the respective shells are filled and any downward movement of the tamp bars which may occur will be due solely to the weight of the rams which movement will be further retarded by friction in the stuffing boxes of the cylinders 88. After all the shells have been filled, the rams will be locked in raised position by the locking bar 50, as hereinbefore described. As shown, the outer ends of the fingers 58 pass through the opening in the lower end of the lovers 66 and the portions beyond such levers are provided with stops in the form of pins 72 which will engageand shift the levers only when there is an increased forward movement of the fingers due to their passing below the shoulder (4 on the rams 35.

In order to admit fluid pressure to the cylinders when a. new series of shells has been brought into filling position, the hubs of the levers (36, through which passes the pivotal shaft 73 are notched and on the shaft are secured pins Tl projecting into the notches T-ls in the hubs of the levers. These notches are made of such angular dimensions as not to interfere with the operation of the levers hereinbefore described. An arm 75 secured to the shaft 73 is connected by a. rod T6 to the controlling handle 51 so that by shifting such handle as hereinbefore stated, the other parts of the machine are put into operation. the lever 66 being shifted so as to move the depending rods 69 of the valves 53 out of line with the abutment 71, and the rods 68, which were lowered when rods 69 were raised into line with the abutment so that on the upward movement of the cross head these rods will be pushed up and the valve 53 opened to admit fluid pressure to the cylinders 38.

It will be understood that when employing mechanism for controlling the flow of air to each cylinder 38, the valve in the main supply connected to all the cylinders is unnecessary.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of a plurality of shell holders, a plurality of cylinders and rams, the latter being subjected to fluid pressure and a reciprocating cross-head movable relative to the cylinders and adapted to move the rams away from the holders and against the fluid pressure.

2. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of means for holding a plurality of shells in loading position, a plurality of cylinders and rams, the latter being subjected to fluid pressure, a reciprocating cross head movable relative to the cylinders and adapted to move the rams away from the shell holding means against the fluid pressure and means for supporting the rams in raised position.

3. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of means for holding a plurality of shells in charging position, a plurality of cylinders and rams, valves for controlling the flow of fluid pressure to each of the cylinders, a reciprocating crosshead for moving the rams away from the shell holding means against the fluid pres sure, and means controlled by the position of the rams for shifting said valves to closed position.

4. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of a feed hopper having a movable bottom, means for vibrating said bottom, a feed box provided with nozzles, means for supporting a plurality of shells in charging position relative to said nozzles, tamp bars arranged in line with the nozzles, and means for reciprocating the tamps.

5. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of means for holding a shell in charging position, means for feeding material to the shell, a tamp bar, means for applying pressure to move said bar toward the shell, means for moving the bar away from the shell against such pressure.

6. In a machine for charging shells, the

combination of means for holding a shell in charging position, means for feeding mavterial to the shell, a tamp bar, means for applying pressure to move the tamp bar, toward the shell, a reciprocating cross head movable relative to the pressure applying means for moving the bar against such pressure, means operative by the cross head to relieve the tamp bar from the operating pressure.

7. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of means for holding the shell in operative position, means for feeding material to the shell, a tamp bar, a cylinder and ram for operating the tamp bar, a fluid pressure supply, a valve controlling the flow of fluid pressure to the cylinder, a cross head for moving the rams against such pressure, valve shitting mechanism and means for shifting such shifting mechanism into the path of movement of the cross head.

8. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of means for holding a plurality of shells in filling position, a feed box provided with a plurality of nozzles adapted to project into and support the open ends of the shells, a plurality of reciprocating tamp bars movable through the boxes and into the respective nozzles, the passages through said nozzles being tapered uniformly to their lower ends and the diameters of the passages at the lower ends of the nozzles being approximately equal to the external diameters of the tamp bars.

9. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of means for supporting a plurality of shells in filling position, a feed box provided with nozzles for directing material into the shells, means for shifting the feed box, a vibrating table for feeding material into the feed box, a plurality of reciprocating tamp bars, means for locking the tamp bars against vertical movement, means for crimping the ends of the shell and a handle for controlling the table, the tamp bar lock and the crimping mechanism.

10. In a machine for charging shells, the combination of means for holding a plurality of shells in filling position, a feed box provided with nozzles for directing material into the shells, a feed hopper having a movable bottom, means for vibrating said bottom to cause the material to flow into the feed box, a comb arranged in the feed box and means for reciprocating the comb.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. 

